God is Good

Dear everyone,

This week was a week of serious miracles. 

Miracle # 1

A husband and wife who we've been working super hard on to get active again PAID THEIR TITHING AND ACCEPTED CALLINGS. They're currently preparing to go to the temple next month. Oh my gosh, I bawled my eyes out in sacrament meeting when I found out.

Miracle # 2

We got not one, but TWO NEW INVESTIGATORS. One of which is in a less active family we've been trying to get to love us and they finally agreed to take the lessons and prepare their 9 year old son to get baptized! They were tough ones to crack, but my comp and I are trying to be extra sweet to them so they invite us in. And it worked. Hallelujah. 

Miracle # 3

I'm singing in a piano recital to try to connect with a nonmember who we are just dying to teach. No, that's not the miracle. The MIRACLE IS I can actually sing. I'm under no impression that I've always been able to sing, but I know that Heavenly Father has blessed me with the confidence and the temporary talent to connect with this person we're trying to teach. I'll probably go right back to sounding terrible when the recital is over but that's okay. I'll take what I can get haha. Tender mercies.

Miracle # 4

My companion and I have been found worthy to receive Facebook. I have no clue how they judge such a thing but apparently they think we're going to be good for piloting technology in the mission. Unfortunately no ipads until after Christmas, but you know. Baby steps. 

Miracle # 5 

We met a guy on our run in the morning (who wasn't creeped out by 2 girls trying to talk to him in the dark wee hours of the morning, miracle in itself) and he invited us to go to his church on Saturday and he'd go to our church on Sunday. He's this super old man with the sweetest old wife so of course, we agree. We went with him and much to our surprise it was like a rock concert. Like, a stage with a band and cameras and lights and smoke machines and everyone's totally rocking out. We had a blast and their pastor gave us coffee mugs as gifts for coming. It was great. 

They're church is like the cool kids table in high school. Like, that's where the jocks and the pretty girls sit. Ours is like the Student Body Officers table. Not... the coolest but totally got our priorities in check. But the miracle is they actually liked it and we're hopefully going to have a lesson with them this week!

The Lord stretches us farther than we think we can go, but never farther than He knows we can. I know that if it wasn't for the Savior picking me up and dusting me off everyday, I would be dead on the side of the road or something. This gospel gives me so much hope in others and in myself. I know that it's just when we have done absolutely all that we can that Heavenly Father produces miracles. God is a God of mercy. And for that I am eternally grateful.

I love you all.

Sister Trebotich

I Have The World's WORST Last Name

I don't really have too much time to write this week, BUT this week was awesome.

We got the car again, thank goodness, just in time for it to pour rain for 2 days. We are making a lot of progress with the members of our ward trying to get them into the missionary spirit.

I forget that it's the holiday season, because it looks and feels just like summer. Sister Goodman and I already have 5 appointments for Thanksgiving. Since we aren't allowed to eat with members except on holidays, everyone wants a piece of us. Challenge accepted.

I've met more people in the last 2 weeks than I think I have in the last year. It's crazy how much I love people now that I'm a missionary. Even when they definitely don't love me back, all I want to do is help them.

It's crazy to think I've only been out for 3 weeks because it feels like I've been here for forever. But I'm not complaining, I love it here.

One of our investigators who has committed to baptism has been super flaky for the last 2 weeks, but we ran into her the other day! And she has read trough Alma 24 just because she "felt good reading it and didn't want to stop." Uh, amazing. The Book of Mormon is so true and brings so much peace into the lives of those that read it. I love this work and this gospel.

Love you all!

Busy Week

This week has been crazy. We've been on bike and I had to borrow a super used one from the mission home and goodness, I am so grateful for all of you who have gotten me my bike! So my area is out in the country with 2 main roads that we ride on to get to the little streets where people live, and both of those roads are insane. I guess people in Florida don't believe in sidewalks, or bike lanes, or shoulders. So we just try to ride as close to the side of the road as we can without getting hit by cars going 50mph and without falling off the road into the swamp. So you know, it's been great.

We have been seeing miracles though! After getting threatened to be kicked out of our apartment complex because of "approaching our neighbors about our religion", we've spent a lot of time hanging out at the gas station because there is no other place in our area we can contact in. So that's been fun. We met this really cool guy who was super prepared and way solid on Friday. I gave him a book of mormon and he was so excited and wanted to meet with us. Unfortunately he doesn't live in our area so we have to refer him to other missionaries but it was incredible to see someone actually interested in what we have to say. That doesn't happen too often. 

The Book of Mormon musical is coming to Tampa Bay next month so we as missionaries get to stand outside the theaters and pass out copies and pass along cards and whatnot. It's going to be a blast, I'm so stoked.

As slow as the work is and as few investigators we have, I have never been happier. The other day we rode our bikes for an hour to get to the other side of our 20 mile area just for our appointment to not answer the door. When we were riding back in the dark on the scary highway, I kept thinking "what the heck am I doing?" and then I remembered who I am doing this for and it made everything worth it.

Jesus Christ has changed my life. When I am drenched with sweat and still have 15 miles to ride home after 4 appointments cancelling, He is the reason I am still happy. He is the reason I can't give up. Because I'm not out here for me, I'm out here for Him. And I would get doors slammed in my face for Him any day. This gospel is true. Otherwise there's no way people would be crazy enough to do this work. But this work is the best work and I am honored to have been called to it.

I'm all out of time but just know that I love you all and am so grateful for the support you all have shown me.

Sister Trebotich.

When It Rains, It Pours

I'm so totally in Florida and I love it!

My mission pres and his wife picked all 17 of us up at the airport and we stayed the first night in a hotel before we met our trainers! Mine is Sister Goodman, she's super great. We get along really well.We are the only one's in our apartment which just so happens to be ON A LAKE. No big deal though. I'm serving in the mission famous Odessa Ward in North Tampa and I way love it. The ward is so strong and they love working with the missionaries. Which is good, because there are kinda like 7 of us in the ward... haha. I won't have a car, or a bike because it hasn't gotten here yet. So who knows how that will go!

I experienced my first Florida rain, and oh my goodness, I might just drown here. It came out of nowhere when we were running in the morning and when it rains, you pretty much can't see anything, so it was an adventure to get home. The people here are nice. We aren't allowed to tract, so we have to contact in our apartment complex (which is the 2nd largest in the nation, fun fact). It's fun. It's a good thing I don't mind awkward situations, because that's pretty much the constant state of life as a missionary. 

Our area is huge, but there's nothing around so it's really hard to find people to teach. It's all no soliciting apartment complexes and homes. And we can't go to either of those. But that's okay, God will line them up for us as long as we're doing what is right.

Everything people told me about Florida is true. It's insanely warm and humid and the bugs pretty much eat you alive. And I may or may not have accidentally eaten one of them alive... Apparently it isn't safe to breathe with your mouth open at all here. Even on runs. Haha. Lesson learned.

This work is so hard, but it's so fun. I love teaching people about Jesus Christ. I love when we share with them a message and the spirit comes into the room and their eyes light up. I love Florida so much and am so excited and honored to serve here.

Here is my address :)

Sister Kimberly Trebotich
17750 C Jamestown Way
Lutz, FL 33558

Love you all! 
Sister Trebotich